Binghamton Alumni Offer Advice to Graduating Seniors

really follow your passion and ask questions and really use the alumni that have come before you as a resource because we've all been through it and our stories are necessarily always traditional so use alumni as sources as well well think about what's going to make you happy and satisfied try to do that you're gonna be working for a long time and might as well do something you like if you do something you love you might as well do something that you like and be flexible as a get started I think that's probably the most important thing Everyone I talk to that searching for a job to give them the same advice I say be persistent and don't get discouraged there is a lot of people just like you applying for jobs the same jobs and think outside the box and keep sending resumes and if you can get on in front a person that's a decision maker thats really important as well so network as much as you can go to the job fairs use your resources like Alumni at work in the places where you wanna wear versus to establish a network early I think too many people think of network as meeting the CEO the CAFO the c-suite I'm but really networking interacting with your peers now that I've been outta Binghamton for almost 20 years its those connections I made at the peer level that uh the people that are now the CEOs CFOs and captains of industry so don't overlook the chance to meet people kinda at your level as you for starting your career one of the best things that you can do is to make use of the people that you know alumni network we have a hundred and ten thousand people across this country on in every state across 100 different countries around the world mine that entire list I think the best piece of advice I would give students and I do give this to perspective students I meet is to interview as many times as possible to perfect that to become good at it because the first time in your life responsible for a product and that product is you. overachieve. what do i mean by overachieve you're going to be sitting in in a work environment someplace that is going we're going to be surrounded by other people life is about differentiation you've got to differentiate yourself and that's hard to do because A it's just hard to do finding a way to be different different better and stand out is hard to do but also be you need to B careful not to stand out too much there's a difference between overachieving and frankly being a pain in the neck worse which simply being over the top to have to find a happy balance the first five to 10 years of your life is prime time to be trying new things to be exploring travel see the world take risks on the penalties are so minimal that whatever you do there won't be any sort of huge or significant cost to it. I would say you know make sure you stay sharp stay curious be humble and just explore and you know when you get the chance to at that point you career remember to give back I would say just work hard follow your instincts pursue your dream and even if you confront some adversity you knock down to the ground understand the knock down is different than the knockout and you came pick yourself up off the ground got a tremendous education use that education and go out the best that you can be. a lot of people particularly at a a high-performing institution like Binghamton and have their set their mindset or there sites set on a specific job specific company specific industry but when I found some of the best opportunities I've had in my career have been things I never could have seen coming and so work hard at what you're doing but be aware of other things around you that could be good options for you as well. I had all these ideas what I was gonna do when all the dreams and I'm ultimately realize that as long as I paid attention and use my inner compass of passion as long as i was true to myself with the decision i made I would fall into the career that better suits me. persistence you cannot find a job in this environment without persistence you will turn a hundred doorknobs and they will be all be locked good news is just need the 101st to be open and you start your career so be persist keep your mind wide open to possibilities definitely people keep an open mind because we career will take you over the course of the next 5 10 25 years you can't possibly predict today so have a plan but be open minded